Bike the Grand Canyon

Want to experience the South Rim is a new way? Then bike the Grand Canyon.  Bring your own bicycle or rent one at the Visitor Center.  You can ride bicycles and e-bikes on the paved trails in the park.  You can mountain bike only on designated trails. Find out which trails are the best for cycling.

In general, you can ride bicycles on all of the roads within the National Park.  However, some roads are simply not safe for cyclists.  We found the best bike ride is on Hermit Road.

Which bike trail is best

Hermit Road heads along the South Rim to the final destination Hermit’s Rest. There are 8 viewpoints along the road. Once you make it to Monument Creek Vista, cyclists can ride the paved hiking trail. After a lunch break at Hermits Rest, we hit the road back to the parking lot. The entire ride was about 12 miles round trip.

From March through October, the park closes Hermit Road to private vehicles. Aside from the occasional shuttle bus, we had the road to ourselves.  We rode freely without worrying about traffic or the risk of oncoming cars. The ride begins at the shuttle bus station on Village Loop Road. The road heads straight up the hill.  This incline was challenging on a road bike, but the e-bikes cruise up it with no problems.  Once the road leveled out, it was smooth riding.  There were inclines and downhills along the way to Hermits Rest, but it was totally worth it.

If you don’t want to ride the entire trail like we did, then just hop on the shuttle with your bike.  Some riders took the shuttle with their bikes all the way to Hermits Rest and then rode back.

Bicycle Rentals

Although we brought our own bicycles, bikes can be rented within the park.  Head to the Visitor Center and find the Canyon Adventures Bike Tours and Cafe.  Not only can you rent bicycles, but you can rent e-bikes or pedal assists.  These e-bikes make pedaling up the hills a lot more enjoyable.

There are other bike rental companies located in Tusayan.  If you rent from one of these companies, you can ride into the National Park from town. The 6-mile trail is called the Grand Canyon Greenway trail.  It is paved and well maintained.  Heading to the village from Tusayan, there is a fairly large incline.  The climb is gradual and noticeable for a casual rider.  Riding back to Tusayan was much easier.

Bike Tours

Take a bike tour and enjoy the beautiful scenery of the South Rim.  They provide the bikes, give you a ride to the drop off point and then shuttle you back to the bike shop.  The whole tour is about 3 hours long and perfect for those seeking a new adventure.

Mountain Bike the Grand Canyon

Mountain biking off road is not permitted on the trails at the South Rim. However, there are dirt trails outside of Tusayan that are perfect to ride.  The Arizona Trail is accessible from inside the park and will take you to some gorgeous locations.

Final Thoughts

We have been to the Grand Canyon many times over the years.  Riding our bikes is by far, the most fun we have had there. If this is your first time, then you will enjoy the bike ride, too.  It is definitely a different way to see the canyon.